NASA Education Express — June 6, 2013

Check out the followingNASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listedbelow.Guidance for Education and Public Outreach Activities UnderSequestrationNASA has taken the first steps in addressing themandatory spending cuts called for in the Budget Control Act of 2011. The lawmandates a series of indiscriminate and significant across-the-board spending reductionstotaling $1.2 trillion over 10 years.

As a result, NASA has been forced to implement anumber of new cost-saving measures, policies, and reviews in order to minimizeimpacts to the mission-critical activities of the Agency. Guidance regarding conferences,travel, and training that reflect the new fiscal reality in which the agencymust operate has been provided.

For specific guidance as it relates to public outreach and engagementactivities please reference the following webpage.

________________________________________________________________Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community.Full descriptions are listed below.NASA Exploration DesignChallengeAudience: K-12 Educators and StudentsVirtual Crew Registration Deadline: March 14,2014

International Space StationScience: Get up to Speed and in the Know!Audience: All Educators

NASA ExplorationDesign ChallengeStudents from Kindergarten through 12th gradewill have the opportunity to play a unique role in the future of humanspaceflight through participation in NASA’s Exploration Design Challenge, orEDC. NASA EDC invites students around the world to think and act likescientists in order to overcome one of the major hurdles of deep spacelong-duration exploration — the dangers associated with space radiation.Students taking part in the challenge will discover how to plan and designimproved radiation shielding aboard the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle,currently being developed by NASA, Lockheed Martin and other partners to carryastronauts to space, venturing farther than humans have ever gone before.

Through a series of science, technology,engineering and mathematics, or STEM, engagement activities, students in gradesK-8 will analyze different materials that simulate space radiation shieldingand recommend materials that best block radiation and protect astronauts.Students in grades 9-12 will think and act like engineers as they apply whatthey learn to design shielding to protect a sensor on the Orion crew modulefrom space radiation. After a review of the design solutions submitted by teamsin the grades 9-12 challenge, five finalist teams will be selected and matchedwith a mentor from NASA to test their designs in a virtual simulator. Thewinning team will build a prototype radiation shield that will be analyzed andsubmitted to Lockheed Martin for flight certification on the inaugural flightof the Orion Exploration Flight Test, or EFT-1.

The five U.S. finalist teams from the grades9-12 challenge will be invited to attend the EFT-1 launch, currently scheduledfor November 2014. The names of all students, grades K-12, participating in theNASA EDC will fly aboard the spacecraft as honorary virtual crewmembers forOrion’s first flight. The deadline to register students for the virtual crew isMarch 14, 2014.

As educators you bring the excitement of science andexploration to your students each day in the classroom. But how can you findthe latest information about what is taking place aboard the InternationalSpace Station, or ISS, especially with all of the science and research takingplace every day? Here are five effective ways you can keep current and feelmore confident in talking to students about the space station and what ishappening in the orbiting laboratory.

Questions about space station research and guidance on where to find additionalinformation should be directed to the ISS Research Helpline at jsc-iss-research-helpline@mail.nasa.gov________________________________________________________________

Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education ServicesProject

The Aerospace Education Services Project is presenting a series of freewebinars throughout June 2013. All webinars can be accessed online. Joinaerospace education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans,educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Engineering Design Process: Part 1 — Ask, Imagine and Plan (Grades 6-12)June 7, 2013, at Noon – 1 p.m. EDTJoin aerospace education specialist John Weis for this first part in a hands-onwebinar series to provide details on the first three steps of the engineering designprocess. Participants learn about problem identification, brainstorming anddesign challenges using the “Spaghetti Anyone?” tower buildingactivity.

What Is a Robot? (Grades 4-8)June 10, 2013, at 4 – 5 p.m. EDT and 6 -7 p.m. EDTAerospace education specialist Angelo Casaburri will explore the critical rolerobotics plays in NASA’s exploration of Earth, the solar system and beyond.Participants will take part in robotics classroom activities that enhancelessons relating to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Engineering Design Process: Introduction (Grades 3-9)June 11, 2013, at 1 – 2 p.m. EDTJoin aerospace education specialist Steve Culivan as he provides teachers with anintroduction to the engineering design process. Upon completion of the webinar,participants will be able to confidently choose activities to develop expertisein engineering as recommended by the Common Core standards.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to ChrisGamrat at gamrat@psu.edu.

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National Air andSpace Museum Super Science Saturday Events

Join the National Air and Space Museum on the second Saturday ofeach month during 2013 for Super Science Saturday at the Steven F. Udvar-HazyCenter in Chantilly, Va. Through demonstrations and hands-on activities,visitors of all ages will become immersed in science, technology, engineeringand mathematics topics related to aviation and space exploration. Each eventtakes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Admission is free, and parkingis $15.

As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, theNASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association arehosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar on June 12, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

As a result of thisseminar, you will be able to use two lessons from the “On the Moon” educator guide.“On Target” and “Feel the Heat,” address the Next Generation Science Standardsdimensions associated with middle school DisciplinaryCore Ideas, science and engineering practices and middle school crosscutting concepts. Learn how to use theengineering design process to challenge students to solve problems related toexploring the moon. This session will fully prepare you to implement theseactivities in your classroom.

This is the only time this Web seminar will be offered during the currentschool year.

Email any questions about this opportunity to the NASA Explorer Schools helpdesk atNASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov________________________________________________________________

Free Exploring Space Lecture — Attend in Personor View Online

The 2013 Exploring Space Lectures will featureworld-class scholars discussing the incredibly diverse worlds that make up oursolar system. The lectures will be held at the National Air and Space Museum inWashington, D.C., and are free to attend. Tickets are required. The lectureswill be webcast live for free viewing. Lecture videos will be archived.

50 Years of Solar System Exploration: NewWorlds, New Discoveries

Through the decades of planetary explorations, awide variety of spacecraft (orbiters, landers, rovers and more) have revealedan amazing diversity of worlds, each with its own story to tell.JoinJames L. Green, director of planetary science at NASAHeadquarters, as he guides attendees through the 50-year voyage of discovery.

The lecture will take place on June 13,2013, at 8 p.m. Come early to see a free film and to meet the lecturer.

LAUNCH Systems Challenge 2013NASA, the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment, the U.S. Department of State and Nike recently announced achallenge to identify 10 game-changing innovations that could transform thesystem of fabrics to one that advances equitable global economic growth, driveshuman prosperity and replenishes the planet’s resources.

Challenge organizers are interested ininnovations with potential to scale in two years, as well as game-changingearly stage technologies and prototypes. Innovations can be business models,financial instruments, technologies and programs that accelerate research,education and capacity building.

The LAUNCH Systems Challenge 2013 is openthrough July 15, 2013.Early bird submissions are due June 15, 2013. Ten innovators that apply by the June 15 early submission deadlinewill be selected to qualify for professional advice on submissions. The first10 innovators will receive a special message from an astronaut or eliteathlete.

NASA and the LAUNCH Council — thought leadersrepresenting a diverse and collaborative body of entrepreneurs, scientists,engineers, government, media and business — will participate in the forum andhelp guide these innovations forward. The selected LAUNCH innovators willreceive networking and mentoring opportunities from influential business andgovernment leaders, as well as portfolio presentations.

LAUNCH was created to identify, showcase andsupport innovative approaches to global sustainability challenges. LAUNCHsearches for visionaries whose ideas, technologies or programs show greatpromise for making tangible impacts on society in the developed and developingworlds.

Join astronomers and educators from Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilleand CosmoQuest to learn how your students can conduct authentic astronomyresearch in the classroom. The workshop is open to middle school educators andwill take place June 17-21, 2013, inEdwardsville, Ill.

Participants will receive practical ideas for bringing citizen science into theclassroom. Free materials and a stipend will be provided. Optional continuingprofessional development units and graduate course credit are available.

Questions about the workshop should be directed to Georgia Bracey at gbracey@siue.edu.

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2013 LunarWorkshops for EducatorsNASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO,mission is sponsoring a pair of workshops for educators of students in grades6-9. These workshops will focus on lunar science, exploration and how ourunderstanding of the moon is evolving with the new data from current and recentlunar missions.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has allowedscientists to measure the coldest known place in the solar system, map thesurface of the moon in unprecedented detail and accuracy, find evidence ofrecent lunar geologic activity, characterize the radiation environment aroundthe moon and its potential effects on future lunar explorers and much, muchmore!

Workshop participants will learn about these andother recent discoveries, reinforce their understanding of lunar scienceconcepts, gain tools to help address common student misconceptions about themoon, interact with lunar scientists and engineers, work with LRO data andlearn how to bring these data and information to their students using hands-onactivities aligned with grades 6-9 National Science Education Standards andBenchmarks.

Workshops will take place: June 24-28 and July 8-12, 2013,at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Workshop participantswill have the opportunity to tour the LRO Mission Operation Center and theGoddard spacecraft testing facilities.

Each workshop will be limited to 25participants. Interested educators are encouraged to apply early to secure aspot. Qualified applicants will be accepted in the order they apply.

________________________________________________________________The Unknown Moon — AWeeklong Institute for High School Educators

NASA’s Lunar Science Institute is hosting a weeklong institute forhigh school science educators. Participants will receive hands-onstandards-aligned classroom resources that bridge the topics of Earth and themoon, as well as a variety of science and engineering topics. Tours ofscientific research facilities and interaction with lunar scientists will alsotake place during the institute.

The Unknown Moon Institute will take place June 24-28, 2013, inLaurel, Md. Registration is free, and applications are considered on afirst-come, first-served basis. Participants will receive a certificate forprofessional development hours.

________________________________________________________________Langley AerospaceResearch Student Scholars — Fall 2013 SessionLangley Aerospace Research Student Scholars, orLARSS, is offering a 15-week fall internship at NASA’s Langley Research Centerin Hampton, Va. Internships are available for rising undergraduate juniors,seniors and graduate students at accredited U.S. colleges, universities andcommunity colleges. Students of all majors are encouraged to apply. The gradepoint average requirement is a 3.0 out of a 4.0.

The internship includes doing a research projectunder the supervision of a researcher, attending technical lectures byprominent engineers and scientists and presenting project results at a postersession. Additional elements include tours of Langley wind tunnels,computational facilities and laboratories, as well as several networkingactivities.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Applicationsare due June 26, 2013.

Note: Spring and summer sessions are alsooffered. Please see the website for details.

Student SpaceflightExperiments Program — Mission 5 to the International Space Station

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the ArthurC. Clarke Institute for Space Education, in partnership with NanoRacks LLC,announce an authentic science, technology, engineering and mathematics, orSTEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space stationpartner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 5 to the InternationalSpace Station, or ISS, gives students across a community the ability to designand propose real experiments to fly in low Earth orbit on the InternationalSpace Station. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight ExperimentsProgram, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a realmicrogravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a singlemicrogravity experiment, and all launch services to fly the mini-lab to thespace station in spring 2014 and return it to Earth. An experiment designcompetition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allowsstudent teams to design and propose real experiments vying fortheir community’s reserved mini-lab. Content resources for teachers andstudents support foundational instruction on science in microgravity andexperimental design. Additional SSEP programming leverages the experimentdesign competition to engage the community, embracing a learning communitymodel for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP NationalProgram Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

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NASA Partners With the LEGO Group forDesign and Build ContestNASA and the LEGO Group are partnering to inspire the next generation ofaerospace engineers by offering a new design competition. The competition willspur students of all ages to use the toy bricks in building models of futureairplanes and spacecraft.

The “NASA’s Missions: Imagine and Build” competition is now open withan entry deadline of July 31, 2013.Winners in each category will be selected by a panel of NASA and LEGO officialsand announced Sept. 1, 2013.

The first category in the contest is “Inventing Our Future ofFlight.” In this challenge, participants will design and build their ideafor an aircraft of the future based on real concepts and new technology NASA’saeronautics innovators are working on to increase fuel efficiency and reduceharmful emissions and noise.

In addition to building a model from LEGO bricks or using the LEGO DigitalDesigner computer program, participants in this category also must prepare andwrite a technical paper. The paper will explain how the contest design takesadvantage of NASA’s ideas and potentially improves on them.

This category divides entrants into two groups: young student builders ages 13to 18 and an open group for anyone age 13 and older. The two winners willreceive a custom-made LEGO trophy and a collection of NASA memorabilia.

The second contest category is “Imagine Our Future Beyond Earth.” Inthis challenge, participants will use their imaginations to design and build afuturistic vehicle from LEGO bricks that might travel through the air or inspace. It could be an airplane, rotorcraft, rocket, spacecraft, satellite,rover or something else. The design can be based in reality or purely a flightof fancy. This competition is open to entrants 16 or older. The grand prize isa LEGO set signed by the set’s designer and a collection of NASA memorabilia.There also is a runner up prize.

To read the complete rules and guidelines for submitting the LEGO model andtechnical paper, visit http://rebrick.lego.com/.

LEGO Systems, Inc. is the North American division of The LEGO Group, aprivately-held, family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark. The company isone of the world’s leading manufacturers of creatively educational playmaterials for children. For more information and to visit the virtual LEGOworld, go to http://www.LEGO.com.

For more information about NASA aeronautics research and space exploration,visit https://www.nasa.gov.